Bhagalpur: ‘Shaheed Jagdev-Karpoori Sandesh Yatra’ (2nd-23rd Feb 2021) was conducted under the banner of the Social Justice movement (Bihar) and Bahujan Students Union (Bihar) in solidarity with the farmers’ movement.
On the occasion of the ending ceremony at Bhagalpur station chowk a protest meeting was conducted against the rising petrol, diesel, and cooking gas.
The protest was started by garlanding Dr. Ambedkar’s statue and offering tribute to Bahujan hero Sant Gadge. Yesterday was also the birthday of peasant leader Ajit Singh (Shaheed Bhagat Singh uncle), who fought against the anti-farmer laws of the British.
On this occasion, the main speaker, Bahujan intellectual Dr.Vilakshan Ravidas while addressing the meeting said- Every step of Narendra Modi govt. is against Bahujans. Bahujans are being expropriated from land, education, money, and their constitutional and democratic rights with every decision of this govt. They are being pushed towards slavery, huger, and loss of fundamental rights.
On this occasion, Gautam Kumar Preetam of the Social Justice movement (Bihar) and Ramanand Paswan said- Narendra Modi govt. is giving tax rebates to capitalists and looting the public in the name of petrol diesel rising prices. At the moment govt is taking 60% tax on petrol and 54% on diesel. This tax is continuously increasing. Govt. should reduce these taxes on people and put more tax on corporates.
Arjun Sharma and Anjani of the Social Justice movement (Bihar) said- The rising prices of petrol -diesel and cooking gas have made life difficult for the public. The successors of those who wrote mercy petitions to the British are making claims of being nationalists and selling the country. The four labour laws are being imposed to profit corporates and making bonded labour out of the working class.
Sonam Rao and Anupam Ashish of Bahujan Students Union (Bihar) said- The new education policy 2020 is to further close the doors of college and universities for the Bahujan students. This will open the way to close govt. college and universities. Along with increasing privatization reservation is also being ended. This will especially curtail employment opportunities for Bahujans.
Mithilesh Vishwas and Nirbhay Kumar Sharma from Bahujan Students Union (Bihar) said- In every sphere of Indian society, be it wealth, jobs, education, or politics, caste-based inequality is still existing. Modi govt. is increasing this brahminical capitalistic slavery. Upper castes are being given reservations while reservations for SC, ST, and OBC are being ended. Appointments are being made through lateral entry.
The protesters from Bahujan Students Union (Bihar) said- The three farm bills will break the back of farmers who are already troubled by the economic strife in the country. Corporates will occupy agriculture. Even after so many years of Independence, there has been no guarantee of land reforms and land rights Now when corporates will take over land, they will snatch little land that Bhaujans hold in this country. Corporates will be the new landlords.
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Rinku Yadav of Social Justice movement (Bihar) said- Narendra Modi govt. is promoting brahminical capitalistic slavery and suffocating the democracy.
In this context with the call of ‘Shaheed Jagdev-Karpoori Sandesh is- ‘Bahujan should Unite and sharpen the struggle against Brahminical capitalism’.
In this yatra, in the Bhagalpur district itself, the organizations have conducted meetings and dialogues in over 100 villages. This Yatra was to highlight many issues that have been plaguing the country in the last couple of years. This included the labour laws amendments, Electricity bill 2020, NEP 2020, privatisation, Attack on SC-ST-OBC reservations, caste-based census, and for the release of political prisoners.
The article was first published in junputh. It is translated into English by Swati Shukla.
